How are the World's Bee Populations Doing?

In 2006 scientists got worried. More and more honey bees across the U.S. were abandoning their hives. And no one really knew why. 
This problem was named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).  It affected almost one in four commercial beekeepers. CCD continued in the U.S. for a few years. Beekeepers around the world became concerned, too. But because no one had systematically counted bees, it was hard to tell just how many bee populations had been affected.

Did you know?

Scientists in Vancouver found that they could measure local pollution by analyzing the chemicals in the honey of local bees.

There is little doubt that bee populations are going down. In fact, insect populations in general are going down.  But is CCD a new problem with a single cause? Or is CCD just a reflection of general problems that insects are having?  Numbers of bees in Canada do seem to be higher than they were in 2006-2008.

Misconception Alert

You may have heard that bees are responsible for pollinating ¾ of the food plants we eat. But keep in mind that ⅔ of the food we eat doesn’t need bees or other animals for pollination. (3) Rice and wheat are examples. But we would certainly lose a lot of fruits, vegetables, and healthy food variety without bees. 

But what caused all of those bee deaths? Scientists have suggested several causes. For example, maybe viruses, mites, or parasites caused CCD. Maybe climate change or habitat loss caused CCD. A lot of scientists blame pesticides, especially a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids (neonics). 
Neonics are the most popular kind of pesticide in Canada. This pesticide is a neurotoxin that is taken up into the plant tissues. It is supposed to kill off the insect pests that eat or damage a crop. But when bees consume the nectar and pollen of flowers that have been sprayed with it, they can die, too.The neurotoxin affects the bees’ nervous systems. This causes them to become confused and disoriented. An affected bee can also bring contaminated nectar and pollen back to the hive. There, it can affect the whole hive.

Did you know?

Bee numbers have been going down, but agriculture has been going up. Because of this, farmers in China (and elsewhere) have been pollinating their plants by hand. Scientists are even developing robot bees!

At the end of 2018, the European Union banned all outdoor uses of the three main neonicotinoids — imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. In Canada, the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency has announced that it will phase out neonicotinoids over three to five years.